On my ride home today, I reflected how different Fall was last year.
I was…
Spending every spare second reading articles about winter biking.
Scouring forums to learn from as many winter bikers as I could.
Analyzing winter gear like every decision could make or break me.
Thinking, “Can I really do this?” on every commute.
Hearing, “You are gonna die!”, from concerned family and friends.
Wondering, “Are snowplows going to see me?”
Hoping I hadn’t lost my mind.
Feeling scared.
I was so concerned about winter, the wonder of Autumn was completely lost on me. I missed out on enjoying the crops being harvested, the pumpkins, the squirrels storing acorns. The colorful leaves held no delight, every falling leaf was a signal that winter would come soon. Was I ready? I didn’t think so.
But this year, Fall is fun. I enjoy seeing the animals scurrying around gathering food for the winter. The drop in temperature makes me smile instead of filling me with dread. The colorful leaves are splendid and delightful. And every falling leaf tells me, “Winter is coming!” This time, I know enough to be excited.
Bike Like Crazy 
Riding your bike is easy. Without some experience we tend to over analyze. Now that you have ridden your bike in all seasons, there is nothing left to do but enjoy yourself. Have fun this winter.
LikeLike
Thank you! Last winter was much easier than I anticipated and wayyyyy more fun!
LikeLike
Man I wish I had some of that Kool-aid you drank…
LikeLike
Dude, no kool-aid here, I swear! But there was one time I drank water that made me feel eerily cold for a time…and after that I have never been bothered by even subzero temps. Weird, huh?
Ha. I wish. Actually, I have been frostbitten twice (not while biking) and one of those times it hurt so much and my body had such a weird reaction I was sure I was about to die, lol.
Now I am a little smarter about the dangers of winter. But that doesn’t change how much I love it 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
And, you your photo compositions have improved as well. I like the closeup of the leaves in the foreground. Nicely done.
LikeLike
Aww thanks! Let’s be honest though, I still have tons of room for improvement 🙂 I will keep working on it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are so much fun to read! Bri, your love of life is contagious. What a wonderful reflection of our Savior!!
LikeLike
God is so good to me, I am thrilled that I can spread a bit of His joy 🙂 Thank you for your kind words, they made my day!
LikeLike
You are inspiring! I think I’m where you were last year obsessing over the logistics of riding in the winter.
LikeLike
I think it is hard not to obsess! At least in my own personal experience it is impossible to figure out all the logistics beforehand-it is kind of a learn as you go process-not because the logistics are overwhelming (they were way simpler than I imagined) but because biking in winter was different than I expected. For me, it was mostly my gear that needed adjusting, better gloves, more ventilated mask, etc. Oh, and waking up super early in case of surprise snowstorms 🙂
I am excited for you, winter biking takes a little more preparation, time and dedication but I think it is well worth the effort!
LikeLike
It’s great to take a moment to reflect on the changes over time – I find the seasons have a way of helping me do that. They evoke the senses and in that comes the memory of what that time was like when I last experienced it.
The arrival of fun is definitely a milestone worth celebrating 🙂
LikeLike
I really enjoy seasonal changes and now that I am out on the bike every day, I feel the change even more-every new season is exciting!
LikeLike
Me too 🙂 The changes in my sub-tropical climate are subtle and some people say we don’t have four seasons but I think they just don’t watch closely enough. 🙂
LikeLike
I would love to experience a more tropical climate sometime…I visited southern Brazil once during their winter season, which felt really strange because timing of the sunrise/sunset made it seem winterish, but the temperature was still so warm! I don’t know how I would fare in an all out tropical summer though. Heat, especially humid heat, is my nemesis.
LikeLike
Humid heat can be very oppressive. I find the sub-tropical climate suits me better.
But it’s great to go to other places and experience the differences in what the earth’s like there compared to what you’re used to. It’s quite amazing really.
LikeLike
It is indeed 🙂
LikeLike
You and the dropping temps. You can have them. Lol. It’s fun to see how far you have come in a year isn’t it?
LikeLike
Believe me I’ll take them! Just send them my way 😉 It is so much fun to look back…crazy how different I felt just one year ago.
LikeLike
I have 8 years of mileage and rides logged in an Excel spreadsheet that I update every day. Totally OCD with it. I get it.
LikeLike
I really need to get better at the actual logging of my mileage, so far I just figure it out for the month, add it to my yearly mileage and boom done! But it would be nice to have it laid out day-by-day. I need to start following your example!
LikeLiked by 1 person